How important are fans to football?

[shailen]

Just watching us after lockdown, yes we've had injuries, but the performance levels on the whole have been pretty dire, with a real lack of urgency standing out. The atmosphere we create at the KP at times can help the team to get over the line or to give them a sense of urgency.

 

Obviously every fan will claim that their fans make a difference but how much of a difference, if any, do our fans make to our chances. I think the fans did play a part in sustaining the momentum in 15/16 and earlier this season and whilst not everyone likes the clappers, it no doubt creates a great atmosphere. I think the players are missing that at the moment. 

[Manwell Pablo]

Our problems started well before lockdown.

[StanSP]

100% important.

Some clubs suffered more than most but as @Manwell Pablo said, the problems were there before anyway.

 

However, I think we possibly could have nicked a few more points had there been fans at stadiums, especially against Brighton. 

 

The problem though, is that it can't just be attributed to us. Every club has had to suffer from it.

[Nalis]

Man Utd fans dont seem to make a difference it seems 

[coolhandfox]

1 minute ago, Nalis said:

Man Utd fans dont seem to make a difference it seems 

Actually it does, maybe takes a little of pressure off them at home!

[Beechey]

I don't feel anywhere near as invested, but I'm not sure why 

[Hammo]

We’d definitely have a better chance of winning next Sunday with a packed house.

[Spudulike]

I think that we would've created a Sevilla type atmosphere if we had the chance next Sunday. It made a difference that night and I think it might've again. Sad that we won't get that chance. 

[davieG]

Yes we’ve had some poor performances but I’ve not enjoyed the football at all it’s been like a job of work and I’ve found it hard to get excited. 
 

I thought it would be good with them all televised and although I don’t do away games now there’s no comparison to attending a live game.

 

It’s been my worst ever experience. 

[SemperEadem]

3 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

I think that we would've created a Sevilla type atmosphere if we had the chance next Sunday. It made a difference that night and I think it might've again. Sad that we won't get that chance. 

Was a tifo to kick it all off Sunday too.

[NaijaFox]

I believe fans can be crucially important at the margins - but it can work both ways (for and against the team and individual players).
 

The instance this season that stands out for me was during the Everton game at the KP. With the game tied at 1-1 and the clock winding down, our players (having come from a goal deficit to tie the game) started knocking the ball around sideways and in our own half, causing the fans to get on them and literally scream for urgency. In short order, Ricardo picks the tempo up and puts a forward pass to Nacho who half-rounds Everton’ s Mina and scored a fine last-minute winner (after holding our collective breath for VAR of course). Convinced that sequence of events would not have occurred without the fans.

[shailen]

14 minutes ago, Spudulike said:

I think that we would've created a Sevilla type atmosphere if we had the chance next Sunday. It made a difference that night and I think it might've again. Sad that we won't get that chance. 

I agree. We'd get on the United players back, make it hard for them and really get behind the lads.

 

Not having that makes away and home game feel the same. There's no question United's first 11 at the moment is stronger than ours (taking injuries in account), so it actually gives them an edge playing us which might have been minimised had lockdown not been in place. 

[shailen]

15 minutes ago, davieG said:

Yes we’ve had some poor performances but I’ve not enjoyed the football at all it’s been like a job of work and I’ve found it hard to get excited. 
 

I thought it would be good with them all televised and although I don’t do away games now there’s no comparison to attending a live game.

 

It’s been my worst ever experience. 

I agree. Its the whole build up to the match and the post match review that I really miss. Now its literally like turn the TV on 5 mins before kick off and switch it off at the end. It's just over too quick. 

[Fox92]

Massive. I didn’t think it would be a big change but it is. 

 

First of all our our problems started in December, not since lockdown.

 

But I think some clubs have less pressure with no fans ie Man Utd. No club has the groans just as much as they don’t have the support while fans aren’t in.

[whetstonefox]

Let’s hope we really are back in October(partial) and fully in November. That said, I’d be astonished if we bin social distancing in November that Boris suggested just as the flu season kicks in. 
 

[shailen]

11 minutes ago, Fox92 said:

Massive. I didn’t think it would be a big change but it is. 

 

First of all our our problems started in December, not since lockdown.

 

But I think some clubs have less pressure with no fans ie Man Utd. No club has the groans just as much as they don’t have the support while fans aren’t in.

Agreed our problems started well before lockdown, but I definitely think having no fans has been a major contributor to our recent form. We'd have helped the team to get over the line imo, especially the younger players in the team who have been brought in to cover. 

 

I also think a lot of our players thrive on both home and away fans cheering them or winding them up. Vardy sticks out as someone who loves the fan support, albeit that his form has been okay. 

[NewEnglandFox]

7 points from 3 games at home since lock-down. 2 points from 5 games away. We're winless in 8 away games going back to New Years Day. I'm not sure what the argument is trying to be but that results aren't that.

[Webbo]

55 minutes ago, Nalis said:

Man Utd fans dont seem to make a difference it seems 

Tbf, by the time they've all driven up from Swindon or Essex they're probably too tired to sing. 

[Vacamion]

 

 

Crowds might have been booing our players who were already lacking in confidence and made a bad situation worse.

 

 

[HybridFox]

As bad as we've been, I think we'd have wrapped up the points needed by now with fans

[NaijaFox]

27 minutes ago, Vacamion said:

Crowds might have been booing our players who were already lacking in confidence and made a bad situation worse.

While I personally detest booing our own players, as a general proposition booing players does not always result in an entirely negative outcome. 

[shailen]

1 hour ago, TK95 said:

As bad as we've been, I think we'd have wrapped up the points needed by now with fans

It definitely would have made a difference. Even today at 1-0, we created loads of chances and dominated that period between the first and second goal. The Spurs fans would have got on their backs and you never know if some players would have gone within themselves as a result.

[HybridFox]

54 minutes ago, NaijaFox said:

While I personally detest booing our own players, as a general proposition booing players does not always result in an entirely negative outcome. 

The Brighton game comes to mind. There's no way we'd have played with that complete lack of urgency at home with fans screaming at them to get forward.

[shailen]

In fact I'd say our possession game really can frustrate opposition teams and therefore their fans. 

 

All football fans are impatient and lose it if their team are being dominated even if they are a counter attacking team.

 

Mourinho is a brilliant manager tactically, and it showed today, but their players would have got stick today for the period in between the first two goals. Would their players have been able to carry out their game plan in that situation as well as they did today?

[Dave Fishwick]

definitely positives and negatives.

 

without 30,000 on their back if something goes wrong a lot more of the creative and entertaining players have flourished